Ji Yuluo instantly tensed up.
Huo Xian, gripping her hand, could feel the tautness of her muscles beneath his palm. Seeing her take a step with her left foot, he immediately stepped forward, blocking her path. Huo Xian gazed deeply at Ji Yuluo, certain that if he let her go now, she would never return to the Huo residence, and finding her again would be incredibly difficult. After a brief moment of contemplation, he untied the knot at her chest, causing her cloak and hairpin to fall away.
Ji Yuluo frowned slightly, but Huo Xian barked, “Don’t move!”
Immediately afterward, he scooped her up around the waist.
Ji Yuluo was slightly startled, vaguely sensing his intentions, and remained quiet for a moment, letting him hold her.
If Huo Xian intended to do anything, he could have done it earlier; there was no need for this extra step.
The Jinyiwei from the two alleys front and back, hearing the commotion, slowed their steps and converged at the alley entrance. Just as they were about to rush in, two figures appeared around the corner… no, it was one figure carrying another.
The alley was too dark for anyone to see Huo Xian’s face clearly until he took a few more steps forward.
The leading Jinyiwei was the first to recognize him and hurriedly sheathed his sword, exclaiming in surprise, “L-Lord?”
He quickly glanced at the woman in Huo Xian’s arms. This is…?
Huo Xian’s expression was not pleasant, and he made no attempt to hide it, presenting a cold face. “Pardon the spectacle. My wife is mischievous and followed me all the way here. I accidentally hurt her earlier. Lingfeng, keep an eye on this place. I’m heading back to the residence.”
Everyone was stunned.
Recalling that their lord indeed brought his wife to work today, they realized it wasn’t a case of newlyweds being inseparable but rather the lady being unwilling to leave the lord…
The Jinyiwei called Lingfeng quickly stepped aside to clear a path. “Y-Yes, my lord, please go ahead.”
The alley was long. Huo Xian strode away, holding Ji Yuluo tightly. To outsiders, they might appear to be a loving couple, but Ji Yuluo knew he was simply preventing her from running away.
Given the current situation, Ji Yuluo decided not to struggle unnecessarily.
They rode a single horse back to the residence at full speed.
Huo Xian knocked on the door himself, his gaze still fixed on Ji Yuluo, watching her like a prisoner.
The old servant woman who answered the door was not surprised to see Huo Xian, but she hesitated upon seeing Ji Yuluo. When did the lady leave?
Huo Xian didn’t bother explaining. He stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter. “Go in.”
He indeed looked at her like a prisoner.
With no choice but to comply, Ji Yuluo entered silently.
Passing through the long corridor, they arrived at the main courtyard.
Nanyue, holding a sword, was leaning against the large tree facing the main door, keeping a diligent watch, though unaware that the person she was guarding had run away.
As Huo Xian led Ji Yuluo past, Nanyue was so shocked his jaw nearly dropped. He glanced at Ji Yuluo, then at the closed windows and door. Wasn’t the light still on inside…?
He lowered his head and clasped his hands in a salute, saying, “It’s my fault, please punish me, master.”
Huo Xian coldly responded, “Half a year’s salary, voluntarily take thirty strokes. Someone else will stand guard for now.”
Nanyue felt his wallet hurt and his backside too, “Yes!”
After that, he cast a glance at Ji Yuluo, and it was impossible not to harbor some resentment.
Huo Xian rebuked, “What are you looking at? If your skills are lacking, then be more vigilant!”
Nanyue, like a quail, replied, “…Yes!”
Huo Xian dismissed Nanyue and headed towards the inner room.
Ji Yuluo followed slowly. When she pushed the door open, she saw Hongshuang wearing her clothes, sitting at the dressing table. Hearing the noise, Hongshuang stood up to greet her, “Miss—”
Hongshuang’s expression changed dramatically when she saw Huo Xian and then Ji Yuluo. She immediately realized things hadn’t gone well, and the prey had walked into the tiger’s den. Thus, the dagger hidden in her sleeve was revealed.
Ji Yuluo stepped between them, stopping her futile action, and said, “Leave for now.”
Hongshuang hesitated but still retreated as instructed.
The room quieted down, leaving only the two of them.
Staring at each other, Huo Xian gazed at her without blinking. Ji Yuluo instinctively prepared to defend herself, but he smiled slightly, walked to the table, poured a cup of tea, and gestured for her to sit. “You probably don’t want to fight anymore, do you?”
Ji Yuluo thought for a moment. There didn’t seem to be a better option. She moved forward and sat down, but did not touch the tea in front of her.
Huo Xian noticed her caution and said, “You haven’t come away empty-handed from all the previous tests. If I truly wanted to do something, you would have been in a dungeon long ago and wouldn’t even have had a chance to act tonight.”
Ji Yuluo was aware of this, which was part of her suspicion. “What does Lord Huo want?”
All the previous pretense vanished. Now, her eyes were cold and precise, no longer feigning gentleness or pity. Her defiant stance was even somewhat arrogant, with no trace of fear.
Huo Xian showed a hint of a roguish smile. “‘Lord Huo’…? Such a distancing attitude from my wife is quite hurtful. Can’t I simply be someone who cherishes beauty?”
Ji Yuluo merely stared at him steadily.
Huo Xian dropped his smile, set down his teacup, and assumed a stern expression, reminiscent of his earlier scolding of Nanyue. He asked, “What is your relationship with Fuchun Hall? And with Jiuxuan Camp? Do you know Ning Heng?”
Ji Yuluo’s brows furrowed instinctively, but then she relaxed, responding ambiguously, “If I said there was no relationship, and that I was just passing by tonight, would you believe me?”
Huo Xian scrutinized her expression. She didn’t seem to know Jiuxuan Camp or Ning Heng. He then asked, “Who sent you to rescue someone tonight?”
Ji Yuluo remained silent, scraping the floral design on the cup with her nails.
Huo Xian said, “No matter, let’s change the question. What is the connection between the eldest daughter of the Ji family and the assassination case at the Yunyang Prefecture yamen three years ago?”
Ji Yuluo remained silent, prompting Huo Xian to continue his barrage of questions:
“Was the person who massacred the prison related to Cuixue Tower?”
“If that’s the case, is the person you saved tonight backed by Cuixue Tower?”
“What kind of enmity do you have with Zhao Yong?”
Ji Yuluo’s hand paused as she toyed with the teacup. Slowly, she curved her lips into a smile and looked at Huo Xian. “With such skills, Lord Huo, why are you a Jinyiwei? Wouldn’t it be more enjoyable to tell stories at a teahouse?”
Huo Xian nodded. “That’s indeed a good path, but unfortunately, my hands are too dirty to disgrace pen and ink. If I were to hang you at the city gate for three days, would anyone come to rescue you?”
Ji Yuluo met his gaze and said, “That would have to be tested to know. But Lord Huo, you knowingly framed others to cover up the real assassin in the palace. You aren’t very honest with Zhao Yong, and… isn’t treason a crime punishable by death?”
Huo Xian only smiled faintly, his eyes moving from her sly eyes to her moving lips.
Facing death, she remained quite defiant.
“In that case, I am somewhat your savior. Let’s skip the life-for-life deal. Miss Ji, just answer my last question.”
He paused for a moment, each word clear: “Who is your master?”
Ji Yuluo did not expect such a serious expression for this question and paused defensively, frowning.
Seeing her unwillingness to disclose anything, Huo Xian adopted a more relaxed posture and said, “Didn’t you find it odd during our fight earlier? Why I could suppress you at every turn, why I knew where each of your moves would land?”
Ji Yuluo looked at him, recalling their earlier encounter. She indeed had questions, but she refused to show her curiosity. She mocked, “Lord Huo’s skills are truly admirable.”
Such a perfunctory compliment.
Huo Xian knew that her gentle and weak appearance was just a facade, hiding a prickly interior.
Suppressing his amusement, he reminded her, “Think again. Our moves might seem different on the surface, but they share the same origin. The reason I could suppress you is because I dismantled and studied each move many years ago.”
Ji Yuluo paused almost imperceptibly. Impossible, the old man had only one disciple.
Huo Xian, reading her expression, guessed she indeed had a master.
His hand resting on his knee gradually tightened, and a thought he had been afraid to entertain surfaced, making him feel short of breath. He took a sip of tea, his expression natural as he asked, “Do you know Lou Panshun?”
Ji Yuluo’s face showed a look of unfamiliarity, and her tone was calm: “General Lou Panshun, who was invincible back then, who doesn’t know him?”
Huo Xian gripped the teacup tighter. She didn’t recognize Lou Panshun!
Ji Yuluo observed the whiteness of his knuckles. As he scrutinized her, she was also evaluating him.
Pain.
Deeply hidden pain, with the veins on the back of his hand bulging and then calming down in an instant, as if it were an illusion. His face showed no signs of it.
Huo Xian released the cup and poured more tea, saying, “Then you must also know that I was taught by him. As he traveled far and wide back then, who knows how many fellow disciples are still alive? From our first fight, I sensed a connection. If possible, there might be some link between us.”
The foam on the tea surface reflected the oil lamp’s light, casting an unreal light on Huo Xian’s face.
Lou Panshun had a wild style; all his martial arts moves were self-taught without any formal sect. How could there be fellow disciples?
But the person behind Ji Yuluo must have some intricate connection with Lou Panshun.
Hearing this, Ji Yuluo was internally shocked but showed no sign of it on her face, smiling gently, “This attempt at getting close is not very clever.”
Huo Xian’s lips were still curved, but his eyes lowered.
He was silent for a moment.
The light fell on his face, gradually obscuring his calm expression, and his eyes filled with a cold, predatory gleam. Suddenly, he hurled the teacup forward. Ji Yuluo dodged, and with a loud crash, the new porcelain cup Nanny Liu had just selected from the storehouse shattered into two.
With this noise, Huo Xian swiftly stepped forward. Ji Yuluo kicked the table leg, sliding back in her chair, but her injured forearm made her defense ineffective. Huo Xian grabbed her, slamming her against the bedpost. The bed curtains shook violently with a creak.
Gone was the look of someone speaking reasonably; he now resembled a massive beast, his fierce gaze ready to devour her. Shedding his pretentious facade, this was the true master of the Imperial Prison, the helm of the Northern Division.
He sneered coldly, “Do you think I’m playing with you? Answer each of my previous questions, one by one. For every word you omit, I’ll cut off a finger from your two maids until they bleed to death.”
Ji Yuluo frowned, her neck gripped tightly. She instinctively tilted her head back, her face turning red from suffocation. At this moment, Nanny Liu burst in anxiously, “Master, master—oh my! What are you doing? Let go! Let go!”
Huo Xian released his grip, and Ji Yuluo clung to the bedpost, gasping for air. Nanny Liu quickly supported her, “What is this? Couples argue, but you can’t resort to violence, Zhe’an!”
Nanny Liu was so frightened she even called him by his courtesy name.
Ji Yuluo didn’t explain, just standing behind Nanny Liu, looking like a pitiful wife bullied by her husband.
Huo Xian glanced at her, his expression still dark, and asked, “What is it?”
Nanny Liu “oh”-ed, remembering the main issue, her face pale, “The third young master is here…”
Immediately, there was a commotion outside, and a weak voice coughed while angrily shouting, “Huo Xian! Come out here!”
